Associated Press stories, Page 559
GM will pay $146M in federal penalties because 5.9 million older vehicles emit excess carbon dioxideVideo
WASHINGTON — General Motors will pay nearly $146 million in penalties to the federal government because 5.9 million of its older vehicles don’t comply with emissions and fuel economy standards. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement Wednesday that certain GM vehicles from the 2012 through 2018...
Philadelphia’s Temple University hires John Fry as its president from neighboring Drexel
PHILADELPHIA — Temple University has hired John Fry of nearby Drexel University to become its 15th president, concluding a search that had been buffeted by the sudden death last fall of acting President JoAnne Epps, the Philadelphia school said. Fry, 63, has been Drexel’s president since 2010 and will start...
Israeli strike kills another senior Hezbollah commander as diplomats scramble for calm in Lebanon
BEIRUT — An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon on Wednesday killed a senior Hezbollah commander as tensions between the two sides continue to boil, a Hezbollah official told The Associated Press. The strike near the southern coastal city of Tyre took place as global diplomatic efforts have intensified in recent...
To save spotted owls, U.S. officials plan to kill hundreds of thousands of another owl species
To save the imperiled spotted owl from potential extinction, U.S. wildlife officials are embracing a contentious plan to deploy trained shooters into dense West Coast forests to kill almost a half-million barred owls that are crowding out their smaller cousins. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service strategy released Wednesday is...
Et tu, crouton? Caesar salad, invented in Mexico by Italian immigrants, turns 100
Caesar salad has something to celebrate: It’s turning 100. Italian immigrant Caesar Cardini is said to have invented the dish on July 4, 1924, at his restaurant, Caesar’s Place, in Tijuana, Mexico. It was a steamy night, and Cardini was struggling to feed an influx of Californians who had crossed...
Confused by all the TikTok trends? This glossary might help
Anyone who shops or uses the internet probably has encountered a TikTok trend — whether they know it or not. Since the social media platform made its U.S. debut almost six years ago, short videos posted there have created a rapidly changing menu of food and fashion fads. Many of...
Open on July 4: Retailers and airlines. Closed: Government, banks, stock market
NEW YORK — The Fourth of July holiday, also known as Independence Day, celebrates the Second Continental Congress’ unanimous adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, a document announcing the colonies’ separation from Great Britain. One year later, according to the Library of Congress, a spontaneous celebration...
Shohei Ohtani says he won’t participate in Home Run Derby during All-Star festivities
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani won’t participate in the Home Run Derby on July 15 despite the Japanese superstar ranking second in the majors with 27 homers for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ohtani has taken part in the Derby just once, exiting in the first round in 2021 at Coors...
Harris tries to hold the line for Biden as Democrats panic over election
WASHINGTON — By the time Vice President Kamala Harris stepped into her third fundraiser since President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate last week, she had her routine down. Yes, she conceded to a few dozen donors in San Francisco, the president’s performance was “not his finest hour.” However, she said, “the...
Movie Review: More Minion mayhem in ‘Despicable Me 4’Video
Should a review of a “Despicable Me” movie be a thoughtful analysis or just a list of the funny stuff the Minions do in it? As much as I might believe in the value of film criticism, I kind of suspect that even the finest points of assessment would be...
What was the 1st ‘American novel’? On this Independence Day, a look at what it started
NEW YORK — In the winter of 1789, around the time George Washington was elected the country’s first president, a Boston-based printer quietly launched another American institution. William Hill Brown’s “The Power of Sympathy,” published anonymously by Isaiah Thomas & Company, is widely cited as something momentous: the first American...
When should a kid start riding a bike? If it’s a balance bike, you might be surprised how young
When Michael Natividad learned to ride a bike at 7 or 8 years old, he knew his training wheels were ready to come off when he leaned on them while zipping around corners. His daughter, on the other hand, was barely 3 when she sped away from him on her...
Brewers continue trying to address their starting rotation by acquiring RHP Aaron Civale from Rays
Milwaukee has acquired veteran right-hander Aaron Civale from the Tampa Bay Rays in the NL Central-leading Brewers’ latest attempt to boost a starting rotation that’s been decimated by injuries. The Brewers are sending minor league infielder Gregory Barrios to Tampa Bay in exchange for Civale. They designated right-hander Taylor Clarke...
Post-pandemic Paris Olympics signal a return to normal for athletes and fans
Any athlete with Olympic dreams knows the feeling of lungs burning, arms and legs turning to jelly, as they near the closing moments of another grueling race or excruciatingly close match. For that last shot of adrenaline, they often tap into the energy provided by the roaring crowd. At the...
LeBron James agrees to a 2-year extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, AP source says
LeBron James is making it official: He’s coming back for a record-tying 22nd season in the NBA, one where the league’s all-time scoring leader could share the floor with his son Bronny as teammates with the Los Angeles Lakers. James has agreed to a two-year contract to remain with the...
Southwest Air adopts ‘poison pill’ as activist investor Elliott takes significant stake in company
Southwest Airlines has adopted a ‘poison pill’ following activist investor Elliott Investment Management taking a significant stake in the company. The airline said Wednesday that the shareholder rights plan is effective immediately and expires in a year. Southwest shareholders would need to give prior approval for an extension. Shareholder rights...
Anti-settlement group says Israel has made largest West Bank land seizure in 3 decades
JERUSALEM — Israel has approved the largest seizure of land in the occupied West Bank in over three decades, an anti-settlement watchdog group said Wednesday, a move that could further worsen already soaring tensions linked to the ongoing war in Gaza. Peace Now said authorities recently approved the appropriation of...
Sierra Leone outlaws child marriage, and even witnesses to such weddings will be punished
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone — A bill that bans child marriage in Sierra Leone has been signed into law, President Julius Maada Bio said late Tuesday, in an effort to protect girls in the West African nation where about a third are married before adulthood. The law is being celebrated widely....
Mosaics by an artist accused of abusing women will stay on the Lourdes shrine, for now
ROME — A French bishop has put off any decision on whether to remove mosaics by an ex-Jesuit artist accused of abusing women, saying that they’ll stay for now on the Lourdes shrine but that eventually they should be removed. The mosaics will no longer be lit up each night...
Taliban and U.S. envoys have discussed the release of 2 American prisoners at third Doha meeting
ISLAMABAD — The Taliban’s delegation to the third United Nations-led Doha meeting on increasing engagement with Afghanistan met with U.S. envoys on the sidelines and discussed the two Americans imprisoned in the central Asian country. Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters in Kabul Wednesday that the meeting aimed at “finding a solution.”...
1 man hurt when home in rural Wisconsin explodes, authorities say
LAFAYETTE, Wis. — A house in southeastern Wisconsin exploded Tuesday, injuring one man who was found trapped in rubble in the basement, authorities said. Calls to 911 reported the explosion about 2:15 p.m. in Lafayette, the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office said. Deputies arrived about 15 minutes later and saw that...
Somerset County soldier 1 of 2 Civil War heroes set to posthumously receive medal-of-honor at White HouseVideo
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will award the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry on Wednesday to two Union soldiers who stole a locomotive deep in Confederate territory during the Civil War and drove it north for 87 miles as they destroyed railroad tracks and telegraph lines. U.S. Army Pvts....
Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese headline WNBA All-Star team that will face US Olympic squadVideo
NEW YORK — Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese will team up on the WNBA All-Star team to play against the U.S. Olympic team led by A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. The pair of remarkable rookies were selected Tuesday by a combination of votes from the media, players and fans as...
Billy Harris’ journey goes from van life to Wimbledon
LONDON — For tennis player Billy Harris, it’s all about the journey. Harris lost in his Wimbledon debut Tuesday, but he’s won over some fans at the same time. That’ll happen when your backstory involves leaving home on the Isle of Man to live out of a van while playing...
New-vehicle sales barely rose in the 2nd quarter as buyers balked at still-high prices
DETROIT — U.S. new-vehicle sales rose only slightly in the second quarter, despite larger discounts and slightly lower prices. But brisker sales could be on the horizon: Auto industry analysts say they expect prices to drop further and there’s a possibility of interest-rate cuts that would make taking out a...
